Metallic framework construction.



} c. LACOSTE. METALLIC FRAMEWORK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. H, I913.

Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

PETERS cm, wAsuuvcroN. n. c.

C. LACOSTE.

METALLIC FRAMEWORK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION .FILED Age. 11. 1913.

1,141,967. PatentedJune.8,1915.

2 SHEETS-I-SHEET 2- E93? A \K/Z\ CAMILLE LACOSTE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

METALLIC FRAMEWORK CONSTRUCTION.

nianeec.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed August 11, 1913. Serial No. 784,217.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CAMILLE Lacosrn, citizenof the French Republic, residing at Paris, Department, of the Seine, inFrance, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MetallicFramework Oonstruction; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention relates to metallic frame-work construction andhas for its object to provide a light, but rigid and durable, metallicframe-work especially adapted for portable building structures.

The invention consists in providing a main supporting girder, preferablyof cir cular form, connected to a central member by means of tie wireswhich serve to suspend said member centrally of the girder, which lattermay be supported in relation to the ground in any suitable manner, aswill hereinafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention more orless diagrammatically, Figures 1 and 2 show in elevation and planrespectively, a construction embodying the invention; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation showing a modification of the manner of securing the tiewires; Fig. 4 is a broken view in elevation showing a modified form ofthe circular girder; Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate in plan and elevation,respectively, the frame-work with an additional or auxiliary externalframe surrounding the same; Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate in elevation andplan, respectively, a plurality of framework units disposed end to end;Fig. 9 is plan view showing a construction formed by connecting adjacentunits in a longitudinal and in a lateral direction; Fig. 10 illustratesin elevation, a modified form of framework unit.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the mainsupporting girder of the frame-work comprises two circular rings 1 and 2of any desired material, such as wood, or metal, rigidly spaced apart bythe vertical spacers or struts 13. At the center of the circular girder,a strut memher 8 is suspended, which may be of any deslred shape, but,as shown in the drawing, is preferably tetrahedral in shape. The apicesof the member 8 are connected to the two girder elements 1 and 2,preferably by means of four sets of tie wires, 4, 5, 6 and 7. As will benoted from the drawings, the member 8 projects materially above theupper and below the lower boundary planes of the circular girder, thuspermitting the tie wires to make sufiicient angle with the girder toproduce a structure'of great strength. By

mounting the circular frame-work unit so formed upon a suflicient numberof uprights 9, a skeleton structure is provided, the interior of whichis unobstructed and entirely open and free. The roof may be formed by acovering applied directly to the upper set of wires 4, or by applyingstrips of wood, metal or any other material supported directly by thewires. The construction may be completed by strips of canvas, wood orthe like, depending vertically from the upper portion of the frame tothe ground.

In order to render the construction portable, it is preferable toconstruct the circular frame-Work in a suitable number of detachablesections which may be connected by any suitable means, such as bolts andthe like. The tie wires of the same section which converge to the samepoint of the central member. are secured to a common support 12 providedwith a regulating device, each wire being provided with its own tensionregulator.

The first time the frame-work is assembled, the member 8 is placed inits central position and the circular girder is positioned by suitablyregulating the tension of each Wire.

To disassemble the frame-work, the support 12, which is common to thewires of one section, is made to release the same simultaneously withoutvarying their individual adjustment.

The frame-work is then disassembled in such a manner as to leave all thewires of one group secured to the corresponding section of the centralmember.

It may be advisable in some cases to locate the connecting points of oneor more of the sets oftie wires 11, Fig.1, at points intermediate of theheight or of the central member 8. These ties then still act totension-ally resist strain in the opposite direction from the otherties. order to prevent the elements of the member 8 from bending, theadjacent elements may be connected by a tie member 10 disposed in thesame plane with the connecting points;

When the frame-work units are employed for structures of relativelylarge size, for instance those exceeding 7 0r.8 meters, circular girdersof a morerigid type than those heretofore described 'maybe" employed.These may be formed by a plurality of braced circular elements 1, 23,:Fig. 4, so as to obtain a reinforced girder structure of triangularsection. For structures of large sizes, the unit is preferably renamedby means of an' external, polygonal frame, Figs. 5 and 6, formed bygirder elements 24 and 25, interconnectedito" form, in thepresentinstance, a' rectangular girder frame, the sides of which aretangent to the inner circular girder. The external girder frame may beconnected at its corners to the'ends of the'central member 8 by means ofthe tie wires 14, 15, 16 and 17. If itis desired to protect the interiorof the structures'built on these frame-work units from rapid variationsin temperature, the sets of wires may be advantageously used forsecuring thereto a covering of canvas, wood or the like, to

form an insulating air chamber. In the construction shown in Figs. .5and 6, for instance, one covering may be applied to the upper tie wires14 of the external frame, and a second covering to the tie wires 17.

covering may also be applied to the lateral faces of the external frameand to the periphery of the circular girder, thus" providing; an airchamber at the periphery of the frame-work unit as well as at the'upperpart thereof.

v The units constructed in accordance with the foregoing may be groupedin' any manner to form a structure of the desiredshape. Figs. 7 and 8show the units conne'ct'ed'at their external rectangular frames in arow, so as to constitute an elongated structure.

The external frames are bolted together, and

the apices of the central membersSare connected by the wires 18 whichinterconnect the units. As shown in Fig. 9, the units may be formed intorows, and the rows thus formed juxtaposed and interconnected by thewires18. I a

Fig. 10 illustrates a modified form of the In this case, in

frame-work unitin which a central member 8 is employed of much greaterlength than the central member described'in connection with the otherfigures. In this form of the framework unit, the central member 8 may beconnected at various points throughout its length with the rings 1 and 2of the circular girder by means of the tie wires 21.

Obviously many changes may be made in the'details of the construction asabove de* scribed, without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention, as definedinthe accompanying claims.

That I claim I is 1. A light truss or skeleton frame for buildingstructures comprising a circular girder made of vertically rigidlyspaced rings, a central skeleton strut projecting materially bothabovethe upper and below the lower boundary planes" of the" circular girderanditself comprising an open truss providing both vertical andhorizontal rigidity, ties connecting the upper and lower ends of saidst'rut to the upper and" lower rings of the girder, and further tiesconnecting the upper and lower rings respectively to the truss toltens'ionally resist strain in the opposite direction from thefirst-mentioned ties; V a

2. A light truss or skeleton frame for building structures comprising acircular girder made of vertically rigidly spaced rings, a centralskeleton strut projecting materially both above the upper and below thelower boundary planes'of the circular girder and itself comprising anopen truss providing both vertical and horizontal 'rigidity, and tiesconnecting each end of said strut to both the upper and lower rings of vthe girder.

3. A light truss or skeletonframe for building structures comprising apolygonal frame made of girders secured together at their ends to form apolygon and compris ing upper and lower members and struts,

each such frame inclosing a circular girder made of vertically rigidlyspaced rings, a

central tetrahedral skeleton strut'projecting materially both above theupper and below the lower boundary planes of the circular girder and.itself comprising an open truss providing both" vertical and horizontalrigidity, ties connecting each end of said strut to both the upper andthe lower rings of the girder,'and other ties connecting the corners'of. the polygonal girder-frame to the ends of the central strut.

4:. A light truss or skeleton name for buildingv structures comprising aseries of polygonalv frames arranged in a common plane'and made ofgirders secured together at their ends to form a polygonand comprisingupper and} lower members and struts, each such frame inclosing acircular girder made of vertically rigidly spaced rings, a centralskeleton strut projecting materially both above the upper and below thelower boundary planes of the circular girder and itself comprising anopen truss providing both vertical and horizontal rigidity, tiesconnecting each end of said strut to both the upper and the lower ringsof the girder, ties connecting the corners of the polygonal girder frameto the ends of the central strut, and further ties connecting the endsof the skeleton struts of the individual girders to one another at bothends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, 15

in presence of two witnesses.

GAMILLE LACOSTE. Witnesses:

HANSON O. Coxn, LOUIS J ossn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

